My Forever
by JocetheBoss471014
Summary: How "The Last of the Mohicans" should have ended. Cora realizes the depth of her love for Uncas. Uncas might love her even more, and what is going on with Alice, Heyward, and Duncan? Based off of the book by James Fenimore Cooper and the 1970s BBC miniseries; not cannon to the 1992 movie. Cora/Uncas, Hawkeye/Alice with mentions of Duncan/Alice.
1. Part One

Part One

Several changes have been made to the first few chapters, so I recommend re-reading them! This is a Cora/Uncas fanfiction. When many people hear the words "The Last of the Mohicans" they usually picture the pairing of Alice/Uncas. However, I grew up watching the dramatization miniseries that BBC put on in the '70s, which is more faithful to the book. In both of these, Uncas and Cora were romantically involved. The story will start off moments before (SPOILER) Cora, Uncas, and Magua meet their deaths in the original book.

 _Cora_

"I will go no further!" Cora repeated, louder than the first time. Now Magua seemed furious. He stormed over to her, gripping her upper arm with one hand, and held his knife to her throat with the other.

"The dark-haired daughter would love one warrior, and not another? She would be wife to the Mohican dog and not the Huron chief?" He could see the decision in her eyes, she knew it, because she felt the edge of the knife press into her skin slightly. She winced. "You will never be his." He whispered, menacingly, before his voice raised to a shout. "Choose! Magua's wigwam or Magua's knife?!"

The possibility of death loomed over her, and she was terrified to the core. She was trembling, and the rational part of her that was bent on preserving her life screamed at her to take Magua up on his deal. She would be safe. She would be fed and sheltered.

This is when the young Miss Munro finally learned what it meant to live. To live meant having something to live for. It didn't mean merely surviving. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life playing her part in Magua's revenge fantasy. She wanted Uncas; the man who challenged her spiritually and intellectually. He was the one that she wanted to live for. Even if she never was able to live out her deepest dreams of spending her forever with her love, she knew that the life she did live should be filled with everything that she had learned from her experiences with the amazing other half of her soul.

Yes, this was the moment where her heart and soul joined forces against her brain that was desperately begging her to reconsider. However, it was a losing battle. Her love for the last of the Mohicans overshadowed and eclipsed every part of her that longed for another breath of life. For what was life without her Uncas?

 _Uncas_

"But I have chosen. If I must take a man. I shall take Uncas." He heard her speak from the overhang that he currently sat on, ready to pounce at the nearest opportunity. To any other person, her voice sounded calm and confident, if not a little on the quiet side.

Uncas knew her better than that, though. He knew how much these words truly meant and how big of an impact they could have. The risk that she was taking made the usually fearless warrior worry for his heart below. Along with this dread, however, came a huge explosion of love and pride to his heart.

Not only was she risking the whole life she had ahead of her for him, but she chose him. Him. Someone of a completely different race and upbringing than herself. She was saying that she'd rather die than not be with him.

Of course, Uncas knew that she cared deeply for him. He knew in his heart that she loved him just as much as he loved her. To hear it out loud, however, was something else entirely. To know that this wasn't just attraction to her and that she actually wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, shook him to the very core. He had spent what little time they had together wondering when the end would inevitably come. He hadn't wanted to ever part with her, but he couldn't be sure that she felt the same way.

Before they had embarked on this journey to rescue Cora, his father had questioned him on his intentions. At first, Uncas had assumed that his father was displeased because Cora wasn't of Mohican, or even Delaware, blood. But later he learned that his father simply didn't want Uncas to settle for the first woman that came along simply because he knew that he wouldn't find the perfect match.

He knew his father liked Cora. However, he also knew that liking someone and approving of them marrying the one dearest to your heart were to very different things. Yet when he glanced at his father to see his reaction to the words of his love, the old man looked very, very happy.

Uncas didn't have long to dwell on this, however. Magua had his knife poised above Cora's chest ready to strike. It was clear that he was struggling for the will to actually go through with killing her, but Uncas wasn't going to risk anything; not when it was her life that was at stake.

No. He would not allow him to harm his love, his soul, his reason for living. Letting out a valiant war cry, he leapt from his hiding place onto Magua's back, digging his knife as far into the pliant skin as he could. The blood spurted out from under and around the blade onto the Mohican's face and torso. He then took one look at Cora's shaking form and wasted no time in pulling her to his chest, forgetting about the crimson mess now all over the front of her.

Normally, he would have been ashamed that he attacked a warrior from behind, which was considered cowardly. However, he knew that he couldn't risk giving Magua enough time to stab her. He found that nothing mattered to him more than her survival. Letting her die would be like killing a part of himself.

Uncas lifted his head from hers to analyze the battle going on around them. Just about all of the Hurons had been defeated except for one that was giving the Colonel a good fight. The old man was struggling, his strength not what it was in his prime, but he seemed to be handling it, so the young Mohican decided to take care of the woman in his arms.

He leaned down to her face, his lips brushing softly against the lobe of her ear. "Don't be afraid, Nuhhuh. You are safe now. Go with the major. Uncas will follow soon." He handed her over to Heyward, who proceeded to wrap her trembling form in his uniform jacket before leading her away towards the canoes from which they came.

The man Munro had been fighting now lay on the ground, motionless. Uncas turned towards the Magua's dying body on the ground before pulling the weapon from the limp form of his enemy. Magua grunted slightly, but otherwise didn't move.

He wiped the blade on the grass adjacent to the Huron before turning to look upon him once more. Normally, his kind heart would insist that he slit the man's throat to give him a merciful death. However, he found his heart hardened after watching said man attempt to end the life of someone so unbelievably precious to Uncas's heart. He turned and walked towards his love, who was being embraced by her weeping father.

 _Magua_

A weird feeling came over Magua as he felt the blade pierce his back. All of a sudden, all of the events in his life that led up to this moment flashed through his head.

He remembered his father and mother looking up at him with pride as he did well for their people. He remembered marrying his wife and the look in her eyes when she told him that she was going to have a baby. He remembered the first time he drank the firewater and the mistakes he made while under the influence of it. He remembered his tribe banishing him from their land and the feeling of hopelessness that came over him as he watched his wife be given to another chief. He remembered falling into the hands of the British under the command of the white chief, Munro. He remembered fighting with Munro against his own people. He remembered the second time he drank the firewater, and the feeling of the whip across his back as Munro made him pay for it.

And then he remembered the first time he laid eyes on the one called Cora.

He hadn't known at the time that she was the daughter of someone he hated. He had simply sensed something about her that was different from other women of her race and class. She and the yellow haired one were both kind. They didn't place themselves higher than anybody else, and this he could tell just by observing them from a distance.

Of course, the youngest Munro girl was certainly fair, but it was her sister that caught his attention. Everything about her drew her in. Her long curly black hair, her bravery, her frankness, her eyes, and even the way she carried herself.

It had been a long time since Magua felt that familiar ache in his chest, but the moment he laid eyes on her it was back in full force.

Then it was like he was thrown into a lake of freezing water. The moment that she introduced herself as Miss Munro, Magua felt his heart drop. She was of his enemy, and a Huron could never love his enemy.

It wasn't until he was told that he was to guide the party including the enchantress herself to Fort William Henry did he truly devise his plan for revenge.

It was perfect. Munro would suffer, and she would be his.

Of course, Magua, too, had a rational side. A side which made sure to remind him that he didn't really need to keep the girl alive to get revenge. She would be just as good dead; killed in front of his eyes. And, of course he chose to ignore it. He kept telling himself that her father would suffer more this way, even though he knew full well that taking her for his wife was because of his own selfish desires.

He was also reminded of the day he realized that she loved his true mortal enemy. Uncas, son of Chingachgook, the last remaining member of the tribe he was born to hate. He remember his anger getting the best of him, and, having nowhere else to direct itself, focusing on Cora. He remembered the look of fear on her face and the shame that he felt for putting it there. But still he never showed what he felt.

And now, from where he laid on the ground, looking up with dying eyes as Uncas and Cora embraced each other, he finally came to the harsh reality that love is just another feeling if it doesn't go both ways. The display of affection also made him realize in his last dying breaths that soul mates did, in fact, exist. Maybe both parties don't always know it upon the first or second or third meeting, but eventually they come to know that they were born to be together.

And as Magua took his last breathe the world was once again hit with another piece of evidence to suggest that even the nastiest of villains can be redeemed by love.

*Nuhhuh means "my heart"

-Although I find many things wrong with the 1992 movie, there are also several things that I love about it. One such thing is the soundtrack. Beautiful! I listened to it on repeat as I reviewed and rewrote pieces of this chapter.

-Chapters Two and Three are almost done being revised and will be up tomorrow later in the day after I get off work! Four is about half-way written and I have five's outline done.


	2. Part Two

Part 2

It's been over a year since I first posted this chapter, and I no longer want to follow part of the story that I wrote into this. Because of this, the time jump no longer exists. Sorry for any confusion. Also, I thought I should mention that Hawkeye and Alice are in no way romantically interested in each other in the book. Hawkeye is actually supposed to be closer in age to Chingachgook than he is to Uncas. However, I added this in for drama, and the movie Hawkeye inspired me to write him younger. So, Uncas is just over twenty as he is in the book and Hawkeye is a couple years older.

 _Cora_

If she had the strength, Cora would have insisted that her father put her down. It seems that the terror of seeing her almost die gave him strength he hadn't seen in decades. He lifted her into his arms as he did when she was a small child and carried her all the way back to the canoes from where the battle had taken place.

After escaping Magua's clutches and spending an entire night alone in the forest before running on foot from Magua and his followers, Cora was exhausted, to say the least. She could barely keep her eyes open, and when they were, it was only a squint and everything was blurry. It must've been close to noon at the rate that the sun was in the sky. The water of the river shimmered through her gaze before she saw a pair of russet colored arms. She followed the arms up to a chest before finally landing on the face of Chingachgook, who looked mighty concerned. It was at this time that her eyelids finally gave out and Cora was lulled into sleep by the sound of the Mohican chief telling her father to lay her down carefully in the canoe. She lost consciousness just as the river's current began to rock the canoe.

When she woke up, she was in a hut of some sort, lying on a pile of various blankets and furs. And no more than a few seconds went by when she heard a rustling a few feet away and looked up to see her father standing in front of her. She smiled and reached for him. The colonel's face was bright as the sun as he came over to sit by her. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh Papa, how I missed you!" She sobbed. "I thought for sure that I would never see you again." Her father pulled away from her and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her face.

"I too, was frightened, my child. My heart was left feeling cold the moment you were taken from me. I thought for certain I'd lost you!" Sadness overtook the man, a stark contrast from his mood upon first entering the dwelling. He tipped his head into his hands and wept.

"Oh Papa!" Cora said softly, laying her head on his shoulder. "There's no need to cry, papa. I'm here and well and happier than I've ever been in my life!

"Yes, yes, I know, dearest. And the lord be praised for that. I'm just so ashamed of myself. I should have known better than to trust the word of Montcalm! I should have done a better job in protecting you! I should have been riding next to you and your sister instead of leading the march. There are so many things that I should have done."

"Papa." Cora pulled back from him a little so she could look him in the eye. "You did everything you were supposed to do. The fault lies with Montcalm, the Hurons, and especially Magua, but not with you. They were the ones who decided to take what they wanted, even if it hurt others in the process. And after the massacre, you didn't give up hope. Most would have thought me lost, but you pressed on and looked for me. Who knows where I'd be now if you hadn't." Munro furiously wiped stray tears from his eyes before meeting her gaze again.

"I lost faith so many times, Cora. Every moment that we were apart I wondered if the next day would be your last. If it hadn't been for Hawkeye and the Mohicans, and Major Duncan of course, I fear I would have given up after the first night." Cora looked away, her face burning red. Her father saw her flushed appearance and nodded knowingly.

"I know that you love him, daughter. And I've learned from watching him this past week that he loves you just the same. I have learned that I no longer care whether his skin shares the same hue as yours or not. What more could I ask for in a husband for my daughter?"

The smile on Cora's face lit up the enclosure. "Papa, I have you blessing?" Her father smiled back at her.

"Yes, very much so. Though he is quite obviously not of a background that I would have once insisted on, he is brave, he would die for you, and he loves you more than he loves himself. That's all I could hope for in a man for you, and for your dear sister Alice as well."

"Oh, Papa!" She embraced him once again. "Thank you, Papa. I'm so happy."

"My heart is filled with joy, Cora dear. May you and Uncas still love each other when you're as old as myself. That is my only wish." Big tear drops rolled down Cora's cheeks.

"I love you, Papa."

"And I love you." He patted her hand before letting it drop, standing up and walking towards the door. "I will inform your sister that you are awake. She's been waiting anxiously for you to do so."

"But Papa! How long was I asleep?" Her father gave her a small smile.

"Cora, dearest. You've been asleep for nearly a full day." She gasped loudly.

"A day you say?! Why, that is a while! Did anything of consequence happen while I was unconscious?" She watched as he shook his head and turned for the entrance to the lodge once more.

"No, child, don't you fret. The only event with even the smallest hope of being remembered a week from now was the fight that broke out between Duncan and that Hawkeye fella." Cora turned her head. Now THIS was a development.

"Hawkeye and Major Heyward? I'm afraid I don't understand, father. For heaven's sake why would they fight?" The colonel sighed.

"Major Duncan has deep feelings for your sister, as you are well aware."

"Yes, of course. She is his betrothed, is she not?" The colonel nodded.

"Yes, well...this morning your sister had just woken up and she wanted to come find me to greet me good morning. And, well, you know your sister. Her brain and feet aren't always on the same path." At this Cora laughed lightly. It was true. Alice was not very skilled in walking. She was always tripping on something or other. "Well, she, of course, tripped over her own feet when she was still a good distance away from myself. The Hawkeye fellow happened to be close by and stopped her tumble from happening."

"Well I don't see how that's all the big of a dea-."

"Cora, your sister looked at Hawkeye the same way your mother looked at me the moment out eyes first met."

"Oh, well then…"

"Yes, and the look the hunter was giving her was much the same. He leaned down, almost as if to steal a kiss, and Duncan was on him in a heartbeat. Only a few punches were thrown, rest assured. I ended it very quickly, and then made sure to talk with both men in confidence, assuring them that I was on their side." Her father laughed.

"Papa, don't you know you're quite terrible!" Even as she scolded him though, Cora couldn't help but giggle softly. Her father's meddling affairs reminded her more of girls her own age rather than a decorated British colonel of nearly fifty years.

"Yes, I'm quite the troublemaker, tis' true. But I did get a laugh out of you, did I not darling?" He let out another laugh. "I really should see to it that your sister is made aware of your awakening my dear. Goodbye for now." And with that, the Colonel was gone from the place.

While she waited for Alice, she decided to do something about her unruly hair. After untying the strings at the ends, she ran her fingers through the now loose strands that were barely be held together after her perilous hike through the woods.

She glanced around the lodge admiring how much design went into it when more movement by the opening caught her attention. Finally, Alice made an appearance.

"Oh, Dearest Sister, how I've missed you!" She rushed Cora and crushed her into a hug. She was only in her arms for a mere five seconds before the waterworks started.

"Even though I knew that the men were more than capable, I still couldn't help but fear that you wouldn't be coming home." Cora gently rubbed her back while she sobbed. After a few minutes she quieted and raised her head up off Cora's chest. "Oh, look at me; what a sight I am! Here you are no doubt dirty and hungry and I'm the one that's crying."

Cora grasped her hands. "Tis alright, sister. All I ask is that you show me someplace where I can become clean again! Alice smiled and nodded.

"Yes, come. There is a stream a little ways from camp where you can bathe in privacy." She stood and pulled Cora to her feet before leading her out the opening of the home.

Cora shielded her eyes as they adjusted to the bright light. People were out and about everywhere. Men, women, and small children talked, played, and worked together as one giant family. The tongue they spoke in was foreign to Cora, though she could proudly say that she recognized a few words due to being around the Mohicans and Hawkeye for a week.

Even though Cora and Alice both wore native garments, their pale skin stood out amongst the other. They received many stares as they walked the quarter mile to the stream. Thankfully, most of them were friendly and curious rather than hostile. Once they reached their destination, they saw that they were alone save for one young woman who seemed to be doing the washing for her family a little ways down the shore.

Cora undid the belt around her waist and pulled the gown over her head. She definitely liked the native's way of dress rather than the European fashion. There was so little to be undone and no layers or tight pieces restricting movement. However, she was thankful to be out of her dress, considering that it was covered in a layer of filth and was a traditional Huron wedding gown. She grimaced at the thought of it.

After folding the gown and removing her boots she looked up to see Alice digging through the bag which she carried on her side hip.

"Well, go on and jump in!" Alice laughed as Cora daintily dipped a toe in to check the temperature. She squealed. It was freezing! Before she could protest, though, she felt a shove in the back and barely got a scream out before her entire body was submerged in the icy water of the mountain stream. The water felt like needles prickling all over her skin.

"Oh Alice, what I'm going to do to you!" She yelled, before reaching up to grab her sister. However, Alice wasn't impeded by water and easily dodged Cora's arms.

"Oh, no you don't. I have a new dress for you in this bag. You wouldn't want to wear the same dirty gown again, now would you?" Cora did so ever much wish to be clean again. She hadn't changed since Magua forced her to trade in her own clothes for the buckskin dress, and she hadn't been allowed to bathe. Growing up in the European upper class, Cora was used to wearing a different gown every day. Of course, since being in the Americas, she didn't have nearly as many luxuries, but she was still able to freshen up every now and then and change her clothes every few days.

Not only did she just go almost a fortnight without doing either, she had also been exerting herself much more than usual during her run from Magua. To say the least, she smelt something awful. This is why she did not hesitate to scrub herself from head to toe with the freezing water. And when Alice pulled a hair comb from the bag, she could have cried of joy. Her hair wasn't too ratty as it had been tied up until just this morning. However, it was caked in mud and greasy from fourteen days' worth of not washing it, and a comb would definitely help to make sure her hair was clean of debris.

Cora stepped out of the stream a few minutes later dripping wet. Her hair, when wet, reached her lower back and was quite thick, so she knew that it would take a while for it to dry. She found a large, flat rock a few feet from the water and laid out to dry in the day's scorching sun. She and Alice talked for a while before Alice left for the forest claiming to be back as soon as she relieved herself.

She knew that her hair was dry enough to put on the gown now, but she wanted to enjoy the sun a little while longer. She laid back and relaxed with her eyes closed before she heard a twig snap. She looked up to see familiar dark brown eyes staring at her.

*I hoped you liked the rewrite of chapter two! The next chapter will have some much-needed Cora/Uncas fluff! It's late where I am, so Part Three will be up sometime tomorrow. I know I said it would be done today, but I'll make it up to you by having two more chapters done tomorrow as well! The next chapter will be a rewrite but the next two are brand new!


	3. Part Three

Part 3

*Here's the revised version of chapter 3!

Uncas

Uncas greeted the morning with a heart filled with joy. And why wouldn't he? His people were free from their mortal enemies, the Hurons. There were still casualties and injuries among the Delaware, but the majority of the tribe escaped unscathed. His father was okay, and so was his brother, Hawkeye. And she… she was okay too. For the first time since the massacre, Uncas felt like he could breathe. He had also had his first night of sleep that wasn't full of nightmares. While searching for her, he would often sit up awake for hours, wondering if she was fed, if she was hurt, and how she was feeling. He wished he could hold her and keep her safe. He wished he could take her place.

He waited a couple of hours before he decided that he couldn't wait any longer to see her. He rushed back to the wigwam that he had spent the night outside of. Walking inside, he was stopped in his tracks. She was gone. Again.

Alice

It hadn't taken her long to find a secluded spot. A short distance away from the stream, there was a place almost completely surrounded by bushes and overhanging tree branches. She quickly went about her business and began to walk back to her sister.

About twenty steps in, she came across a familiar blue flower. Kneeling to the ground, she remembered her first encounter with the plant…

She, her sister, and Duncan had just been rescued for the second time by Chingachgook, Hawkeye, and Uncas. They were resting for a couple hours before they began the last leg of the journey to the fort. Alice went to sleep beside Cora but woke up a little later to find her gone. It was still dark, and for a few seconds she was so terrified she wanted to scream.

Moments later, however, her eyes landed on her sister a short ways away, leaning up against a tree opposite Uncas. She smiled. It didn't look like they were talking much, and Alice envied how well they were able to communicate their feelings without words. She also wished that she were as brave as Cora at times. Her sister knew what she wanted, and she didn't let embarrassment or fear of rejection or even a difference in cultures get in the way.

Alice turned from the couple and walked as silently as she could back towards the rest of the group. Duncan was asleep, and she didn't see Chingachgook, so she figured it was his turn for watch. Hawkeye looked up as she approached, raising his head up off of the fallen log he was resting against.

"Miss Alice." She smiled at him and dropped as gracefully as she could to the ground next to him.

"I haven't slept in almost two days, and the whole time my body was begging for a chance to rest. Now it seems that my mind doesn't wish to fall asleep." Hawkeye chuckled quietly.

"I'm sad to say that that feeling probably won't pass until we have to move again. Once we begin walking towards the fort again, you'll be dead on your feet." He smiled at her. "You should probably close your eyes at least and try to get some rest. Even if you don't sleep." Alice nodded, and slowly lowered her upper body to the ground, her blonde locks now loose and falling around her. Just as she was about to settle on the grass at his feet when she felt a hand at her cheek. It didn't last long, however, as her gasp at the contact quickly had Hawkeye's hand retreating back to his side.

"My apologies, Miss. It won't happen again. I was just noticing the cut on your face. It's a wonder I didn't notice it before. I guess I'm not living up to my name." Alice's lips quirked up at that.

"You just startled me, Mr. Hawkeye. I'm quite alright. And don't worry about the cut either. It isn't too deep, and only stung a little when I tripped and fell." The concern in his eyes only slightly faded from her assurance.

"Still, I'll be sure to let Chingachgook know when we start walking again. He should know just the thing to keep it from getting infected."

"Oh, there's really no need. I'm sure I'll be quite alright, and I wouldn't want to impose. Besides, I do believe I am more concerned for my devastated appearance." She subtly shifted her head so that her hair fell over her face, covering the laceration and the shame in her eyes.

Alice wasn't vain, so to speak. She just didn't find much about herself to be extraordinary. She wasn't brave, or strong, or opinionated like her sister. Her soft features were one of the only aspects of herself that she felt pride about, and she was sad to lose them.

She felt the rough pads of his fingertips on her hair, and she resisted the urge to open her eyes. Hawkeye pulled the hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear, along with something soft and delicate feeling.

"You could have hundreds of scars on your face and it wouldn't take anything from your beauty, Miss Alice."

Shy as she was, Alice never did bring herself to open her eyes again and tell Hawkeye how he made her feel.

All her life she had thought herself in love with Duncan. He was kind and attentive to her and she enjoyed talking to him. They understood each other, she had always respected him, and he loved her with all his heart. Up until now, she thought no other man could be more suited for her than him.

Her father was unlike many fathers and had always told his daughters that he would never force them to marry someone. When Duncan asked for her hand, her dear Papa had told him that he would be honored to call him son, so long as Alice herself agreed.

And she had agreed. At the time, she couldn't think of a reason not to. Of course, that was the moment he showed up in her life.

Meeting Mr. Hawkeye for the first time had Alice questioning if she even knew what love was in the first place. One look from him sent shivers down her spin and blood up to her cheeks. When he was near, her heart thudded in her chest and she found it hard to speak. And yet, as embarrassed as she felt about her feelings towards the hunter, she wanted to be around him all of the time. When he was injured, she wanted to be the one to help him. She wanted him to hold her in his arms. She wanted to feel his touch on her skin. Being around him made her forget that she detested the forest, and she found that she wouldn't mind living there the rest of her life, so long as he was there as well. She ached for things she didn't even know of. And when he was in danger she felt the same terror in her chest that she felt when it was her sister's life was on the line.

Sighing, Alice plucked one flower from the ground and placed it behind her ear. She needed some good luck for what she was about to do. She desperately needed to see Hawkeye, but first she needed to have a conversation with Duncan. All she hoped was that he'd still want to be her friend when they were done.

Uncas

Uncas raced around the camp looking for her. He felt glances aimed at him from several people, probably wondering if their chief had gone crazy.

He hadn't been searching for long, however, when he spotted her father a short distance away, talking to the major. His feet carried him swiftly to the two, and he wasted no time for pleasantries.

"Colonel. Cora is missing. She isn't where I left her, and I can't find her anywhere in the village."

"Calm down my boy, my daughter is just fine. She left the village a short while ago with her sister to find a place to bathe." Uncas let out a large breathe before nodding at both of them in both thanks and goodbye.

"I will find her now." He sidestepped around the men and headed for the river. Part of him thought he should wait, as she could be indecent, but he gave in to his desire to see her and continued walking.

Cora

Cora gasped and sat up, curling into herself to hide her nakedness from view. Bowing her head towards her knees, she heard Uncas walk towards her. Once he was up to the rock she was on, he stopped. She lifted her head, dark hair rolling back over her shoulders, to see him looking her in the eyes. His eyes. So deep and brown and full of life. So very beautiful.

She finally broke the eye contact when she saw that he was holding something. Glancing down, she saw the dress that Alice had brought in his hands. She knew that she should just take it from him, but she was feeling braver than normal today. Something about the events of the last few days that she had survived had her pushing away feelings of embarrassment. Well, and there was also that look in his eyes.

Cora raised her arms above her head, and she heard a hitch in Uncas's breathing. Recovering quickly, he slowly stepped forward and slid the dress over her head before pulling her hair back out. He cupped her face in his palm and she leant into it, loving the heat emanating from his skin.

Uncas

He knew that she had already bathed in the stream, but he still needed to go for a swim, and he didn't want to part from her. Taking his hand from her face, he reached for the hand at her side, reveling in the softness of it. He found himself wondering if her entire body was this soft. Thoughts of just moments ago when he'd gotten a look of everything that was her flashed through his head, and he found himself uncomfortable.

Pushing the images out of his mind, he led her further downstream, where he knew there to be a pool of water. When they arrived, he took off what little clothing he was wearing without thinking. He heard her gasp and lifted his head to see her turned slightly away and covering her eyes.

He began to laugh but had barely opened his mouth to tease her before he was in the air, and seconds later in the water.

"Not so cheeky, now, are you?" Cora stood, hands on her hips, glaring daggers at him. She truly was fierce when she was angry, but Uncas could see no real anger in her eyes. He maintained eye contact and slowly walked out of the water and towards her. Cora began to back away from him and raised a finger at him.

"Uncas, don't even think abo…" She laughed as he quickly lifted her into his arms. "Uncas, no, I mean it! Put me dow-ahhhh!" Her screams were cut off as the two went under the water. As they both resurfaced, Cora wiped stray water droplets out of her face, and let out a hearty laugh. Her wet hair slicked back against her back, and he could see that it reached the bottom of her waist through the clear water. Uncas let out a rare laugh as they looked lovingly at each other. They sat there for a few seconds, treading water, when Cora pushed a handful of water in his face. His mouth opened in shock as his eyes closed on instinct. She giggled and dove under the water. His lips curled into a smirk and he dove after her.

He grabbed her by the ankle, and she let out a scream underwater. The bubbles rose to the top, as did the couple. She laughed out loud when she reached the top, bringing joy to Uncas' heart, and was about to splash him again when he splashed her first. She huffed in indignation as he dove away.

"Uncas!" She yelled as he resurfaced several yards away. She swam towards him, thinking for a split second about how much easier it was to move around without the restriction of clothing. Uncas swam towards her and she smiled and went to meet him half-way. But just as she was about to reach him, he tucked under her and stopped short right behind her.

She spun around to face him, and they merged together, holding each other. Their eyes locked, and time stood still. Uncas wasn't sure who leaned in first, but he soon found his lips fused with hers, drinking her in. His hands found her waist as hers found the long strands of hair that ran down his back. Their legs moved in sync under the water, holding them afloat. Uncas found himself thinking that if he could choose how he would die, it would be right here, in her arms.

*There was actually another character in the book that was part of the group as they traveled to Fort William-Henry. His name was David, but I chose to cut him out of this story because I didn't know if anyone would know who he was, since he isn't in the 1992 adaptation.

*Chapter 4 will be up tomorrow. Sorry for the wait, I didn't feel very well today.


	4. Part Four

Part 4

*Sorry for the late update! I have tomorrow off, so chapter five should be up tomorrow.

*Another thing that I do not believe is mentioned in the 1992 movie (but correct me if I'm wrong, it's been a few years since I've watched it) is that Cora's maternal grandmother was half African American and a slave in the west indies. Both Colonel Munro and Cora were looked down upon by members of their society because of this. Alice was the daughter of Colonel Munro's second wife and was thus Cora's half-sister.

*It was strange in last chapter to write a playful side to Uncas, because he's never really depicted like that, but I figured that if he and Cora had actually survived long enough to have a moment like that alone, he might have shown a different side to his personality.

 _Cora_

All her life she had heard the whispers and felt the judgmental stares on her back. Of course, no one said anything to her face. Polite society wouldn't permit it. But she knew. She knew that she was beneath them. She knew she would never find a man who'd wish to be her husband. No amount of wealth or status that her father had would change that.

It didn't matter that her skin was just as pearly white as her sister's. It didn't matter that when she pricked her finger on a rose her blood looked no different. It was never something that she understood, yet from an early age she felt forced to accept it.

She would always wonder why Alice was always spending time with other girls her age while she herself couldn't get within ten feet of them without watching as they crossed the road to avoid her.

One summer night at the dinner table, she had asked her father if she could go with Alice next time she went to play with Georgiana. Her father looked sad for a moment before explaining that she was eleven now, and thus, too old to be playing dolls with girls three years her junior.

Cora trusted her father completely, so of course she immediately accepted the answer. However, Alice quickly reminded her father that Georgiana had a sister the same age as Cora, and that she often still joined the two younger girls in their play.

Very few times did the Colonel ever raise his voice at his youngest daughter. This had been one of those times. Alice was promptly sent to bed and warned that she ought to keep quiet unless spoken to. Cora was then taken into her father's study and taught of her heritage. She learned why it was that she was viewed as sub-human, and why no one wanted to be her friend. And while some of her questions were answered, the talk left much of her feeling confused. Soon after learning that her mother was a descendant of a negro slave, Cora left the room sobbing, despite her father calling out for her to wait.

She had spent the next week in bed, not knowing what to think. Part of her had been angry at her father and her late mother, even though she knew it not to be their fault. Part of her had felt relief that she found the missing part of herself to fill the hole she had always felt in her heart. For the most part, though, she had just been depressed.

For almost a year after that she had distanced herself from anyone and everyone. She hadn't known how to explain anything to Alice, and part of her had been under the impression that even Alice was too good for her. Her father began distancing himself from her, and the servants always preferred to keep to themselves for the most part. The taunting and gossiping began to get worse, too, almost as if she had been given leeway for being a child before.

Forty some weeks later, it was this same horrible treatment that brought her sister back to her. It was almost summer, and the rains were persistent and unending. Alice had three other young ladies over to have tea after recently graduating from dolls. Cora was making her way through the parlor the girls were in on her way to the library when one of them stuck her heel into her path. Cora went tumbling towards the floor, falling in a heap on the ground and taking the table with the precious Georgian tea set with her. Tea and broken dishes were all around her, and she felt her cheeks go red with shame.

That was when the insults started coming. First from the girl who tripped her and seconds later from the other two girls who soon decided to join in.

They told her to clean up the mess like the slave she was. They asked her how someone as low and dirty as her could even step foot into the Munro house. They sneered at her bloody face, telling Alice that she would have to burn the carpet as it was now soiled by impure blood.

It had felt like eternity, but in reality only a few seconds went by before Alice came to her rescue. She told the girls, one of which was her good friend Georgiana, that if her sister's blood was dirty than so was hers. She then proceeded to pick up one of the pieces or ruined plate wear and slice her own arm open.

"Our blood looks the same, does it not? And Rachel, does her skin not rival your own in paleness? Her hair is dark as night, but so is yours, is it not, Georgiana? There is nothing about her that is different from any of us. If you can't accept this than you're the ones who aren't fit to be in the Munro house." Alice declared, quite boldly. It was one of the few times that Cora ever remembered her sister speaking with such a harsh tone. It was quite out of character for her, not to mention lacerating her own limb.

Soon the other girls were gone, and Alice was walking Cora out of the room while a maid came and cleaned up the mess. It was a strange experience, having Alice tend to her wound and calm her down. Excluding the last year, she had always been a mother figure to Alice, constantly babying her and keeping her out of harm's way. However, as the two embraced, Cora found that she didn't mind so much.

The next several years they had both isolated themselves from society. When Cora came of age, it was no surprise that she didn't get any suitors. Alice had several, despite her reputation being slightly mangled after the sister's reconciliation. She would have had no problem finding a husband, except very shortly after Alice's sixteenth birthday, the two sisters set sail for the Americas to join their father, whom they hadn't seen in years. Alice was ecstatic, despite her fear of going to such a foreign place.

Cora, too, was very happy to be seeing her papa, now a colonel. A couple years before he left to join the British campaign, he had finally approached her and the two had talked for hours on end about her mother. Though it was quite clearly still a sore subject, she had wanted to know everything.

Now, she finally felt as though she belonged somewhere. She didn't feel she was below anyone anymore. And she finally found someone who would cherish her forever.

She and Uncas had laid beside the lake after swimming around for a while. Her dress was soaked, seeing as she wasn't quite brave enough as he was to swim out in the open with no clothing on. As they waited to dry off, they had finally had a chance to talk about the future.

"You will stay?" Uncas said, his eyes turning from the sky towards her as they lay on their backs. Cora smiled at him and turned on her side to face him.

"Yes." His eyes sparkled. Cora ran a hand across a piece of his long black hair, marveling at its softness. "I can't speak for Alice, or my father for that matter. "But I will stay." Uncas reciprocated her touch, winding one of her curls around his finger.

"Your sister will stay."

"How can you be sure? She's never been the type to enjoy the outdoors, and how is she to part from Duncan? She's quite in love with him."

"She loves you more." He traced the line of her brow. "And she loves my brother."

"What?!" Cora sat up. "Hawkeye? What in the world has gotten into you that you would think such a thing?!" She stared down at him, flabbergasted. Uncas paid no mind to her outburst, however, and put his hands behind his head, smiling lazily up at her.

"Do you not see? He looks at her and the whole world disappears. She looks at him and mountains fly."

"Well of course I saw that. The two of them aren't as sly as they like to think they are. But I didn't realize it went past infatuation and admiration, and she's still engaged to Major Heyward. And when I asked her, she denied it! Has Hawkeye said anything to you?"

"He laughed at me; said I followed you around like a dog. Then my father spoke and asked him of his feelings for your sister. He stopped laughing." Cora laughed, imagining the look on Mr. Hawkeye's face after Chingachgook asked him about Alice.

"Do you really think that she really loves him enough to stay?" Uncas sighed and pushed himself up to her level, before placing a hand on her middle and pushing her back into the grass.

"Yes."

 _Alice_

"I'm sorry, Duncan." She tried to let go of his hands, but he tightened his grip.

"Alice, dearest, if it's a matter of where'd we life, we'll stay here. I know that you don't want to live apart from Cora, and I am perfectly amiable to the idea of living here and.."

"Duncan."

"And no one will ever know that I deserted. They probably already assume the worst. I've been gone for weeks and as far as anyone at Fort Edward is concerned, I'm dead. We can just live.."

"Duncan stop!" He looked her right in the eyes for the first time since she told him that she wanted to call off the engagement. "The location matters not to me, Duncan. I do not want to live with you here anymore than I want to live with you at the fort or back in Europe." He finally let go of her hands, and turned around for a few seconds, before angerly turning back towards her.

"This is about HIM, isn't it?!" Alice nodded, feeling sick to her stomach. It made her sad to see that he was so incredibly upset because of her. "Alice he offers you nothing! HE is a nothing! I'd expect something like this from your sister, but you're a lady, Alice, and you deserve better!"

Now she was furious. However, it was not in her nature to lash out as it was her sister's. Instead, she remained calm. Deadly calm.

"What do you mean you'd expect something like this from Cora?" Heyward froze, knowing that he messed up.

"You know that's not what I meant, my love. I'm simply trying to point out that Hawkeye is quite clearly a savage…" Alice crossed her arms.

"He is good, and he is brave." Her voice was minute and soft but powerful. "He's saved me countless times from danger. He is kind, intelligent, and doesn't place value on trivial and unimportant aspects as you do. If that's what it means to be a savage, then I want to be a savage." Duncan opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off once more. "You've disappointed me, Major Heyward. I do not wish to marry you. And until both myself, Hawkeye, and Cora receive a heart-felt apology, I do not wish to be your friend, either."

Alice turned away and began to walk back towards the enclosure she and Cora were calling home for the time being. She stopped soon however, when Major Heyward's voice called after all her.

"We love each other, Alice. We've loved each other since we could talk. Do you not love me anymore?" Alice paused for a moment. As angry as she was at him at the moment, she still cared for him and did not wish to hurt his feelings further. She did love him, but not in the way that he loved her. She did the only honorable thing that she could.

"No." She said and continued walking away.

*I see this story being 10-15 chapters long, but that could change. It really decides on where I decide to take the story. I have three paths that I can't decide between and they're completely different. One option is to make it very fluffy, with the only conflict being the drama between the characters. The second choice is a much darker and will present a new "Magua" so to speak. The third is a mixture of both, where there is definitely a conflict that occurs, but it wouldn't be near as serious of a threat as option 2. Do you have any opinions?

*Also, The Last of the Mohicans was the first place that the name 'Cora' ever appeared. Cooper came up with the name based off of 'Kore', otherwise known as the Greek goddess Persephone.

*Also Also, I've hear rumors that someone is making another adaption of TLOM on the platform HBO Max. It said that it would be more of a tv serial rather than a movie or tv series and I'm excited. If it actually happens, I might get HBO Max just to watch it and then cancel it! I was wondering if any of you knew about it? Also, if they did make one, it would be the first adaption in almost thirty years!


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